Are Fresh Herbs Better Than Dry Herbs

When my mom cooked, she always made everything taste delicious. Learning from her was one of the biggest gifts she gave to me. I have also handed down my love of food and cooking to my oldest daughter and my two younger kids are learning to cook as well. One thing mom told me was to always cook with dried herbs and spices because they tasted just as good and were easier to use. I never thought to question her until I was an adult and found the world of fresh herbs! I worked in a Mexican restaurant for several years and they used fresh herbs in everything and you could tell! Once I tasted food with fresh herbs I was hooked, but I did see moms point on dried herbs being easier to use. At that point, I decided it was worth the work in trade for a little effort. Here is a little information I found on the subject that I wanted to share:

What are herbs: Herbs are leaves of plants that you can eat. These are no to be confused between herbs and spices. Spices are ground seeds, bark or flowers that are often aromatic and strong in taste.

Fresh Herbs Or Dried?: When using fresh herbs, you get a more flavorful taste profile than with dried herbs. Many of the herbs used in cooking have flavorful essential oils, which is what makes them taste so good. When the herbs are dried, they lose those oils and therefor the taste is muddled as well. Also, you need 3 times as much dried herbs to get the same flavor from fresh herbs.

Health Considerations: Fresh herbs have strong anti-oxidant and nutrients, which are good for your health. Herbs are also used for medicinal purposes, which backs up the information that they are good for you.

Storage: One of the main reasons people prefer to use dry herbs is they are easy to store. With fresh herbs, you must keep them either in your crisper or in water. Although I have been keeping my herbs in the crisper, they don’t seem to last very long. Ironically, I was offered a very helpful and cool product from a company by the name of Prepara. This company, is like Disneyland for cooks because every fun thing you could every want for your kitchen can be found on this website!

Are Fresh Herbs Better?

I must admit I have been lazy over the past year or so and wasn’t using fresh herbs as often. I had started using dried herbs and my husband finally asked me why our spaghetti sauce wan’t as good as it used to be. I told my husband that, he said he could tell a difference and wanted me to switch back. If I had been asking myself “are fresh herbs better”?, I had my answer! When I was sent the Herb Savor from Prepara, I could not wait to use it. I send my husband out to the store and he came back with a big bunch of herbs and I took a bunch for our dinner and he put the rest in the Herb-Savor. You just open up the plastic holder, put the herbs in and close it, put water in the bottom, and set the plastic inside the base. The Herb-Savor can keep your herbs fresher for up to 3 times longer, which in this economy, that is great news! I also received the Power Tip ice cream scoop as well as the Market Fresh colander set. We have needed a good ice cream scoop for a while now and this scoop is super sturdy and is dishwasher safe, which I love. The Market Fresh colander is perfect for straining smaller amounts of food like fresh fruit and vegetables and canned goods. The company got its start during a Thanksgiving that was spent cooking and crushing garlic until some hands were cramped. Julie and her mother Inna decided there had to be a better way and with some in out with a lot of talented family, plans for the company started. That talent and determination paved the way for an entire e-commerce storefront filled with sleek, stylish and very cool kitchen gadgets. You can purchase the Herb-Savor for $29.95, the Power Tip scoop for $9.99 and the Market Fresh Colander for $14.99 at Prepara’s online store.

I used to be a barista and enjoyed making frappes with espresso year=round! It would be great to win an espresso machine to make mixed coffee drinks from home. Also, the green mountain coffee frappe mix is the best ever!

I love all things kitchen gadget, but if I had to choose only one I would have to pick the Roasting Laurel. How cool is that? I am always looking for a rack that fits a pan, and of course, I don’t have one that fits them all….this could be the one!